Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA) - Education Research

Attainment (measured by the WIAT)

WIAT (WORD and WOND): A longitudinal study using the AWMA to measure working memory established that working memory skills at 5 years old are an excellent predictor of attainment six years later, as measured by the WIAT.

WIAT (WORD and WOND): In a large-scale study of over 3000 children identified with working memory deficits using the AWMA, only 2% of them achieved scores in the average range (>96) in standardised assessments of reading and maths (WORD and WOND; Wechsler, 1993; 1996). AWMA scores uniquely predicted scores in these tests even after IQ (WASI, Wechsler, 1999) was statistically accounted.

Educational Attainment (measured by school tests)

The AWMA predicts children’s educational attainment in grade school. Almost 100 school children aged 7–8 years were tested on five measures of WM (using the AWMA). The results revealed that AWMA scores were excellent predictors of children’s achievement.

Reading

Children were tested at 6 years of age in measures of Working Memory, IQ, language, phonological awareness, literacy, rapid naming, and speed of processing. Verbal Working Memory contributed most to predicting all three reading abilities (decoding, reading comprehension, and reading time) a year later. The authors conclude that adding an assessment of Verbal Working Memory is a better estimate of children’s likelihood of future academic success.

Reference: Nevo, E. & Breznitz, Z. (2011). Assessment of working memory components at 6 years of age as predictors of reading achievements a year later. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 109; 73-90.

Maths

This study investigated the relationship between Working Memory (measured by the AWMA), teachers' maths talk and the acquisition of number sense within pre-school classrooms.

Reference: Boonen, Kolkman, & Kroesbergen. (2011). The relation between teachers' math talk and the acquisition of number sense within pre-school classrooms. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 281-299.

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This study compared the contributions of working memory (using Italian translation of the AWMA) and verbal ability to mathematical skills in Italian school children. The results indicated that even when differences in verbal ability were statistically controlled, working memory uniquely predicated mathematical and arithmetical abilities.

Reference: Alloway, T.P. & Passolunghi, MC. (2011). The relations between working memory and arithmetical abilities: A comparison between Italian and British children. Learning and Individual Differences, 21, 133-137.

Learning Styles

This study found that in secondary school children, those with high working memory were better able to excel in a range of learning activities, regardless of their learning style (ie., Verbalisers, Visualisers, Wholistic or Analytic thinkers).

Classroom Activities

Performance on the AWMA was compared with laboratory analogues of classroom activities. The findings confirm that Working Memory is strongly associated with the accuracy of performing instructions. The authors conclude that working memory plays a significant role in typical classroom activities that involve both the storage and mental manipulation of information.